The 2nd Bond movie starring Timothy Dalton, Licence to Kill, came out in 1989 when I was a whopping 7 years old. Is Licence spelled with a second C in the UK? The first of Dalton’s Bond movies was actually really freaking awesome, so I’m really looking forward to what this one has to offer.
Cast of Characters –
Bond, James Bond: Timothy Dalton (x2)
Big Bad: Franz Sanchez played by Robert Davi (one of the Fertelli’s from The Goonies) and his main henchman is Dario played by a super young Benicio Del Toro.
Femme Fatale/Bond Girl’s: Pam Bouvier played by Carey Lowell, they actually have really good chemistry and seemed to end up together at the end of this one, if Dalton would have done more I bet we would have seen her again.
Ladies who had the pleasure of being James Boned: Just 2 again (Lupe and Pam)
Moneypenny: Caroline Bliss (x2)
M: Robert Brown (x4)
Q: Desmond Llewelyn (x13)
Foreign Agents/Helpful Scoundrel – Felix Leiter played by David Hedison and Felix is the central figure in the plot for this one.
Theme Song: Licence to Kill, composed by Michael Walden and Jeffrey Coehn and performed by Gladys Knight
Director: John Glen (x5)
The Movie – So this Bond was a little different than all the others. This is a straight up revenge plot movie for Bond. Felix Leiter is getting married and of course Bond is the best man. But also of course there is a last second raid on this big time international gangster guy that makes Felix and James late for the wedding. Felix’s new bride then gets murdered and Felix is fed to some sharks. I thought he had died but he totally lives and the bad guy gets away. Well until Bond decides to make it his personal life’s mission to take down the ahole who dared mess with Felix. Bond teams up with a CIA lady who he eventually bones of course, and has pretty good chemistry with actually, and they end up taking this guy out. Not before Bond has his licence to kill revoked by M for refusing to do the bidding of MI:6. Bond don’t give no shits though and still goes undercover to take this guy down. Just like ALL the other Bond’s this one is slightly too long but it was still a really fun ride and I wish we had a few more Dalton movies to check out, I really like his take on the character. But next up after a six year break we have a new Bond and the movie that made me fall in love with the Bondverse, Goldeneye.
I give this one 7 out of 10 PPKs, it wasn’t quite as great as The Living Daylights. Both Dalton entries are solid and will share the same spot on my rankings list and you can kind of think of them as one long entry into the Bondverse.
My First to worst my rankings after The Living Daylights:
Goldfinger
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill
Moonraker
The Man with the Golden Gun
The Spy Who Loved Me
Dr. No
Thunderball
A View to A Kill
Octopussy
You Only Live Twice
Diamonds are Forever
For Your Eyes Only
Live and Let Die
Never Say Never Again
From Russia with Love
Ellie’s Thoughts: It was too long and not as good as The Living Daylights.
I give Licence to Kill 6 out of 10 martinis shaken, not stirred.
Up next Goldeneye…
Cuppa 